Don’t forget, folks, tonight, Tuesday Oct 13th at Lincoln High School Auditorium, it’s the big ol’ North End Candidate Forum, featuring mayoral candidates Joe “Synergize Collaborative Goal-Setting” Mallahan and Mike “Have I mentioned how much I hate the tunnel” McGinn, as well as candidates for City Attorney and City Council. Here’s the latest schedule:
- 6:00 – Doors open
- 6:30 – 7:00 City Attorney
- 7:00 – 8:00 – Mayoral candidates McGinn and Mallahan
- 8:00 – 9:00 pm – City Council races
Wallingford Chamber President Kara Ceriello writes that Chutney’s is donating some food and our QFC and Bartell’s are donating “some stuff”, but the coffee donation fell through (last minute opportunity for some civic good, all you coffee shops!). She adds “we have some young people volunteering, but could use more volunteers (they can call me on my cell: 579-5736) of any age, and plan to assist folks w/ parking too.”
So young folks of any age, you give Kara a call. When you’re president and they ask you how you got started in politics, you can tell ’em: “it was a cold October day in Wallingford, and the crowds were restive in the Lincoln High auditorium…”
(Reminder: We can’t attend, but are hoping that others will post their thoughts and impressions for our readers.)
I attended, but had to leave at 7:20. I was disappointed to see the auditorium maybe 10% filled. I’m guessing there was not more than 100 people there. Substance can be found on the candidates’ websites, so seeing these folks in person is a good way to get a sense of their personal style.
The more I see of current city attorney Tom Carr the more I question his temperament. He’s got the whole Angry Man schtick down, which is not really something I seek out in a chief prosecutor. He is from the Bronx so maybe I should be more compassionate, but I’m still voting for the reform candidate, Pete Holmes.
I only caught 20 minutes of the mayoral debate and once again Joe “Stakeholder Synergizer” Mallahan looked to be in over his head. I have no idea why this guy is leading in some polls. He’s underinformed on issues, is a poor debater and mangles the English language about as goodly as George W. Bush (“planful” is not a real word, Joe). McGinn was cool and well-informed and will be getting my vote November 3.
The moderator did a competent job and the timekeeper (who I believe was a high school student) was top-notch. There was a bit of confusion in the mayoral portion as to whether or not there would be rebuttals. The moderator left it up to the audience to decide and we voted overwhelmingly that rebuttals be made.
Whoever set up the stage did a nice job. The flowers on each debater table added a touch of comfort with a splash of color. Nice work Wallingford. Ballots are now in the mail… VOTE!
Thank you, Doug! I greatly appreciate the observations.
We came away with the opposite impression on the mayoral front, and we were pretty undecided going in. McGinn seems too single issue on opposing the viaduct/tunnel, while Mallahan made some good points about work that will have to be completed anyway, tunnel or not (like the sea wall). Many of McGinn’s answers seemed vague. Mallahan did not try to speak to everything, but the issues that he did speak to seemed more well thought out. And he seemed very practical about money issues, for example, commenting that if it were a family (instead of a city) you would not attempt to cut 6% across the board, but rather figure out how to preserve the budget for vital services and cut in areas where there is more flexibility.
Kimberly: I don’t buy Mallahan’s argument that since the seawall needs to be replaced we should build a deep-bore tunnel under downtown. It’s like saying that since the roof to your house needs to be repaired you might as well remodel the kitchen.
As for the “6% across the board” budget cut, I don’t think McGinn is proposing doing that, is he?
I was there too for the next Mayor– ready to vote “no confidence” and still leaning that way.
Though I would not agree that “oneperfectlygoodmayor” Nickles+Ceis (Crunican, you’re doing a heck of a job,”) merited a third term, David Horsey gave a reasonable overview of the evening:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/davidhorsey/archives/182109.asp
“Mallahan, … calls himself a good manager, but his campaign doesn’t show it.”
While McGinn turned me off day1 by stating that the City should take over Seattle schools…
I guess I didn’t take it as an argument in favor of building the tunnel just because the seawall needs replacing, but more of a reminder that despite McGinn’s assertions, we will still spend a good chunk of the $937 million budgeted for the tunnel on things like a seawall. I think McGinn tries to make it sound like that number will just evaporate if we don’t build the tunnel, and it simply won’t. I also think it’s relevant to consider (as Mallahan pointed out) that the state wants to spend millions of dollars here in Seattle on a construction project, which will create jobs and will provide apprenticeships for trades.
Frankly, though, I’m in Horsey’s camp with Nickels having been a perfectly good mayor. Not the best ever, but I wish his name were going to be on the ballot.
IMO, the reason that Mallahan is leading in the polls is that McGinn is a one issue candidate. I happen to be pro-tunnel so will be voting for Mallahan. If McGinn changes his stance on the tunnel, maybe his position in the polls would change too. I know my vote might change.
McGinn’s not a single-issue candidate. He has been, however, the only viable mayoral candidate who dissents on the single issue that seems to be getting the most press in the race: the deep-bore tunnel.
But keep in mind that McGinn can’t kill the tunnel on his own, nor can Mallahan dig it.
It is not the “done deal” that Gregoire, Nickels and Sims (before he split for DC) have been selling it as, and I have a feeling that before ground is broken on the project the deep-bore tunnel will collapse under the weight of its own ill-conception.
I was frankly shocked by the qualitative difference between the candidates. McGinn was calm, well-informed and the kind of guy you’d love to have as a neighbor or friend. His remarkable record of effective community activism stood in stark contrast to Mallahan’s almost solely corporate background and recently discovered interest in Seattle/WA affairs (he hasn’t voted in about 10 elections in the past 5 years!!). Additionally Mallahan had a whiny style and proceeded to throw rather nasty (sometimes unfounded barbs) at McGinn. This is something I’d expect a Republican to do not a “social justice” Democrat. If Mallahan gets in, his abrasive style will perpetuate the dysfunctional relationship that exists between the City Council and the mayor’s office
Whoever did the set-up did a good job putting out signage so I was able to walk right up to the meeting without wandering around in the dark trying to find the place. Also yes, the flowers on the tables were a nice touch.
I found the mayoral portion of the evening to be annoying. I think that they both sounded like a couple of school boys with their “HE wants to do this…HIS idea is to…” They spent too much time negative campaigning, which I don’t find helpful. I arrived not knowing who I wanted to vote for, and left not knowing.
The council portion was helpful, but with so many people and so few questions per person, I didn’t feel like I could get adequate information on their stances. However I did get a good feel for them.